Shellye Poster's new book is a welcome addition to my library of "How to Photograph xxx". I just purchased this book and am very happy with the content, layout, suggestions, and information.
In addition to featuring great photos, the book is laced with great information, suggestions, and tips. The detailed descriptions & photos provide a unique perspective on how to photograph Death Valley.
For example, Poster writes," Photographing in the late morning will enable you to incorporate northwest skies and the Panamint Range. Views to the southeast will be better in the afternoon".
Other comments such as, " Devil's Golf Course holds great potential for late-afternoon and sunset photography".... Foot traffic has trampled the spires closest to the parking area, so venture out a bit to discover shapes that are increasingly jagged and more appealing".
I also like that all sections contain info on Best Times to visit, Exertion level required, Road Accessibility, and Parking information.
The Favorites section in the back of the book lists the author's favorite hikes, sunrise & sunset locations, as well as internet and phone information.
The only thing really missing from the book is a complete photographer's matrix chart similar to what Laurent Martres uses in his book, "Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1, Southern Utah".
In Martres' book appendix, he developed an easy to use matrix chart ranking Scenic value, Photographic interest, Road accessibility and Hiking difficulty for each location. However, with minimum effort, it wouldn't be hard to pull this information from Shellye Poster's book.
This book is well worth it if you plan to visit and photograph Death Valley.
